The Departed
by Teh Pocky Ninja
Summary: You had all the chances in the world to save yourself. And now...Heaven's completely out of your reach. Have a nice afterlife. Angsty, dark, Sas pov, slight SasuxSaku.


**The Departed**

* * *

I don't know when it was that I awoke. All I know is, one moment there was nothing and the next…there was _something_.

It felt strange. Like I was floating. Somehow, I knew floating was a strange feeling…I knew I was used to walking and feeling solid ground…not air.

But it was dark…unusually dark. Like…night. It wasn't day, it was night.

_Where am I?_

I realized it was dark…because my eyes were closed.

_Open._

The darkness remained when I opened my eyes, but a mellow glow seemed to surround me as I floated, apparently lying face-up. I blinked hazily, floating upright again, wondering where the glow was coming from.

_Me._

The glow was…me. I realized I was glowing, a soft, ghostly light when I looked down at myself. Hands, fingers, feet, toes. All glowing.

_Where in the world am I?_

Though I was shining like a firefly, all around me there was darkness but for a few other lights, slowly gliding through the silent blackness.

_Forward._

Amazingly, when I willed myself toward one of those other lights, I began to move. I drifted towards a group of lights, which turned out to be shining people, just like me.

Though I had made no sound, they all turned to look at me as I approached them. There were three of them, all silently watching me. One was a woman, with a snow-white face and very long, dark hair. The other two were men, one with short, gray hair despite his young-looking face, and one with a short ponytail and many scars decorating his person.

"Welcome, my child," said the woman, the first sound I had heard since arriving here…wherever _here_ was.

"Pray tell us your name, boy," said the scarred man, crossing his muscled arms.

"I…"

My voice sounded so strange…almost like I had forgotten what it sounded like.

"I…I can't remember…" I admitted.

_My name…_

"Think, child," said the woman, smiling for me. "It will come."

_My name…what was it…?_

I flinched when a vivid image entered my mind, an image filled with sunshine and sweet smells…and a voice…

_"Sasuke!" my mother laughed, watching me chase a particularly hard-to-catch grasshopper. The summer sun made her cheeks rosy as she laughed, her dark hair falling in a river down her back._

_"Sasuke, come on now, leave the poor thing alone. Your lunch is ready!"_

_"But I had it, Mom!" I pouted, stumbling over a log toward her. "I did! Nii-san could catch one in seconds, why can't I?"_

_"It's ok, Sweetie," she cooed, pausing to wipe a smudge of dirt from my cheek. "Your big brother had trouble catching bugs when he was your age too."_

_"Really?" I gasped, amazed._

_"Really, cross my heart," said my smiling mother. "Cross my heart and hope to…"_

"Sasuke. Uchiha. Sasuke Uchiha. My name is Sasuke Uchiha"

"He remembered quickly," said the gray-haired man. "Must be recent."

"My…my mother…" I said blankly, unable to stay quiet. "My mother…my father…Aniki…"

"It'll all come back to you, child," whispered the woman.

"Aniki…Aniki, he…all… …every one of them…gone…Aniki…"

_"Foolish little brother…"_

I felt something break in my chest. Possibly my heart, as all the memories came crashing down.

"Mother, father…all gone…Aniki….no, Aniki…why?"

"There, there…" soothed the woman. "Just remember…and hold your memories dear."

_"I will become stronger…I am an avenger."_

"Those memories are all you have…let them come."

"Konoha…" I said, as if discovering something important. "Konoha…home…my home…"

_"Iruka-sensei! Why does a great ninja like me have to be put in a group with a fool like Sasuke?!"_

I remembered that voice. With it came images of sunny yellow and mind-boggling orange…

_"I won't lose to you, you stuck-up idiot!"_

"Na…Naruto…" I whispered. "Team…team seven…"

_"Oh! G-good morning, Sasuke…hee-hee…"_

"Sakura…" I said, remembering pink…and red…and bright, green eyes…

_"Sasuke…do you wanna do something later?" she asked, her eyes bright with hope._

_"No thanks."_

_"Oh…ok, then…" she whispered sadly, rejected again._

_"Hey, loser! Race you up the mountain! Loser has to eat a handful of mud!" laughed Naruto, thumping me on the back. Always so reckless…_

"Team seven…my…my friends…my best friends…"

"Friends…" sighed the scarred man. "The best things in the world."

I remembered them. Naruto and Sakura. My teammates.

_"Sasuke!"_

Naruto…loud, annoying…orange…happy, grinning…sunshine…ramen…energy…

_"Hey, Sasuke!"_

Sakura, pink…soft, gentle…crystal tears falling…blushing…crying…smiling…shouting…

_"Come on, Sasuke! Kakashi-sensei's late again!"_

Kakashi, our teacher. Jounin, mask, orange book…lateness…anger…lightning…

_"Your name's Uchiha, isn't it?"_

The rest of them flooded back so fast I could only stay frozen, my mouth hanging open. So many people…Neji, Lee, Ino, Shikamaru, Tenten, Hinata, Choji, Kiba, Shino, Asuma, Kurenai, Might Guy…Gaara, Temari, Kankuro…Jiraiya, Tsunade …

"I remember them…"

My mother…my father…Auntie Uruchi, Uncle Teyaki, Cousin Shisui, Inabi-sensei, Tekka-san, Yashiro-san…My family.

"They're all dead," I whispered, feeling something watery collect in my eyes, blurring my vision. "They're all gone…"

_"Sasuke…"_

_"Hey, Sasuke! Come on!"_

_"Hi, Sasuke. Back so early?"_

"Poor child," murmured the lady. "Even if they are sad, treasure those memories, boy…"

"My friends…I…"

_"Sasuke, what's the matter with you?!"_

_"What, Naruto? Afraid to admit I'm better than you?"_

I cringed to hear those words in my own voice. Why would I say such things to my best friends?

_"You're not a spoiled little kid, Sasuke. Learn to respect your teammates. Someday, they might be all you have left."_

A strikingly clear picture instantly blocked out all the rest.

_Sakura…_

She…she was crying. Her pale, slender hands were at her sides, not bothering to wipe away her tears.

_"Why, Sasuke?" she asked, speaking to my ignoring back. "Why won't you ever tell me anything? Why won't you let me make you happy?"_

I remembered how I had felt that night. How dare she follow me out at this time of night, what does she know about me? She should just go home and forget I ever existed.

_"Sasuke…" she sobbed. "Please, don't go…I'll do anything to be with you! I can make you happy, I promise! Just don't go…or if you must go, take me with you!"_

I remember how desperate she sounded. Why hadn't I done anything?

_"Sasuke, I love you so much, please don't go!"_

I was frozen again. A wave of pain, almost as intense as when my family had gone…it was all centered on my chest. I realized…it was my heart breaking again.

_I had vanished behind her when she started to follow me. She gasped quietly, her face still wet from tears. Why couldn't she tell?_

"Why…?" was all I mumbled. "Why couldn't she tell I…"

_All I could say was a simple "Thank you." And then I hit her._

Why? How could I have done that to her?

_I caught her as she fell…just having her fall into my arms made my broken little heart do unusually energetic cartwheels in my chest…but why?_

"Sakura…"

_"Someday…" I whispered to her as I placed her gently on the nearest bench I could find. "I promise…"_

I remembered how beautiful she was, lying there with her hair fanning out around her face. She was the first girl I ever cried for…

_Wait…that's right…it was just one tear, but…I was sad. Sad to leave her._

"Sakura…"

_They could never replace them, I had said to myself…He's no Naruto, though he's certainly loud enough…He's no Kakashi, though he's certainly quiet enough…Ugh, she's definitely no Sakura._

"Snake…" I mumbled. "Not my real friends…"

"Cherish what you remember, child," said the woman. "Enjoy it, revel in it…someday you'll forget everyone…everything…"

"But…but how?" I protested. "What about you?"

The three faces darkened, averting their eyes.

"We have been here much longer than you, boy. We know…someday you'll have forgotten your family, your friends, your woman, your name…everything."

"But…where is _here_?" I demanded. "How can it make you forget?"

"Sweet boy, do not anger…" said the woman. "It is by no fault of your own that you came here…"

"But where is _here_?"

"A place," said the gray-haired man with a serious tone. "For those who haven't been judged."

"Judged?"

"In life…" he continued, "you remember your life…even with its share of hardships, there was sunshine and laughter, right?"

"Of course…"

_But I threw it all away…_

"This is where us…all that happiness taken away…come."

"But…why?"

"Boy…" he said, looking me straight in the eye. "Sasuke. Guess I'd better use your name before I forget it too. Sasuke, I used to be a shinobi."

My eyes widened. "Me too!"

"That's right…we all were…" he said, nodding to each of the others. "Very powerful shinobi…top class warriors. The best of the best. Prodigies, geniuses, names and faces feared and respected…"

"Just like…" I whispered.

"Just like you. Let me guess…you were the best rookie of your year."

"Yes! I was!"

"The most ambitious, the most diligent…you probably had a bloodline ability thrown it for good measure."

"Sh-Sharingan," I said in disbelief.

He whistled softly. "Impressive. You know why I remember enough of that to tell you?"

I shook my head.

"Because I came here not long before you did. How long it's been, I have no idea…but I remember enough. Sasuke, you sent me here yourself."

I froze. "I…what?"

"Don't try to remember anything, you didn't know me at the time."

"I…I'm sorry…" I murmured, hanging my head. "I didn't mean to…"

"Kid, if I was angry at you, I'd let you know it."

"But…but where is _here_?"

"Child," murmured the woman. "Look long and hard at me. Do you recognize anything?"

I blinked, gazing at her face. Come to think of it…something about her seemed familiar.

"Who are you…?"

"Ask me not my name, boy, it is long forgotten…just concentrate…where have you seen this face before?"

_That face…pale…delicate…but cold, so cold…like a corpse…_

"You…" I gasped, staring. "You're him?!"

"No, child," she whispered, shaking her head. "It was I…who was the first successful experiment."

"You…" I stuttered, "Y-you mean, you…"

"Yes," she murmured sadly, looking away. "I was that abomination's first target."

"After a time," said the scarred man, "He grew tired of her. I came next, an ambitious young ninja with more power than he knew what to do with…and so I became his prey as well."

"Sasuke," said the third man, with the gray hair. "You were meant to be the third victim, but…I remember something delayed you. There were others like me…I can barely remember their faces by now, but…I was the strongest. So I became your replacement."

I could feel my heart beating quickly as my gaze shifted between the three lifeless faces.

"But…but if you're all here…" I trailed off.

"Yes, sweet child…you were his greatest…"

My heart stopped beating completely.

"His most prized…"

It remained silent.

"The perfect one…"

_And I knew it would never beat again._

"This is the rest of eternity…for the souls whose bodies he has stolen."

_Scream all you want…no-one's there to hear you._

* * *

Yeah...emo much... X.X well, this is what happens when i get writer's block for fluff. hope it sent a chill or two down those spines of yours.


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